


Ending

by scribblemoose



Category: Merlin (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-05
Updated: 2010-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-14 14:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/150472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemoose/pseuds/scribblemoose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgana and Merlin have come a long way, and it ends here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ending

Merlin had been angry with Morgana for a long time. She had long since worn out his guilt, his denial, even his compassion.

And this was the day his hope ran out.

This was the day he looked in her face and could see no good in it, no shred of the woman he'd once loved as kin.

This was the day Merlin lost Morgana forever.

"What's it to be, Merlin?" She tilted her head to one side; the wind whipped at her hair and her cloak and her dress. "You failed. Arthur's dead, Camelot's in flames. Morgause would have me torture you, tie you up and leave you to get eaten by crows, but you have an uncanny habit of escaping. So, what's it to be? Shall I kill you where you stand, or would you like to do the honourable thing, and fall on Arthur's sword?"

Merlin knelt in the mud, and picked up Excalibur. The blade was clean, always clean, no matter what gore or dirt had touched it. He gripped the hilt; it was still warm from Arthur's touch.

"It can kill you, you know," Morgana said. "Even you."

Merlin scrubbed tears from his cheeks. "I know."

She was deathly pale. Cold. Closed right up.

"It didn't have to be this way," he said, softly.

"Oh, really? How else would you have it, Merlin? How many people had to die before you would use your power to stop the tyranny of Uther and his kind?"

"How many innocent people have died because of _you_? You pretend you're fighting this great cause but you're no better than Uther. You say you do all this for the sake of magic but it's not true. You've killed hundreds of people, Morgana. Hundreds of _innocent_ people."

No flicker of doubt; Morgana raised her chin and said, "It was the only way."

Merlin shook his head. "You're wrong. You're so, so wrong."

"You're boring me, Merlin. Isn't it about time took that pretty sword and got it over with? You know you can't live without Arthur. What's a pathetic puppy without its master, after all?"

Merlin laughed a short, humourless laugh. "Right."

He got to his feet, Excalibur firm in his grip, arm steady, just like Arthur taught him.

"I made this, you know" he said.

"What?"

He could still surprise her, after all. Even now, after all these years. Even now. She didn't _know_.

"Yeah. Well, not all by myself. Gwen's father forged it. I took it to the Great Dragon and he burnished it. I threw it into the Lake of Avalon, and the Lake cleansed it and the Lady protected it and the Stone kept it safe until Arthur was ready for it. This sword was born of love and magic, and if you think for a moment, if you think, if you so much as _touch_ …"

"You can't stop me," said Morgana, with absolute, cold certainty.

There was a long pause before Merlin smiled a dreadful, sad smile and said, "actually, I can."

She didn't have time to laugh.

Merlin's looked to the skies and called on the power of Dragons, the power of Magic, the power that ran through him like blood and was all his own. Merlin spoke words whose meaning had been lost forever; Merlin called to the elements and the spirits and the soul of every dragon that ever lived.

Excalibur glowed gold and red and shot through the air, across the cold bleak earth where Arthur lay still. Excalibur flew end over end through stilled time and silence, until it pierced the cold, dead thing that had once been Morgana's heart.

Merlin watched her life fade before his eyes, watched the witch leave the body of the woman he'd once loved. So consumed by dark magic that she burned in it, turned to ash and smoke and left Excalibur to fall, immaculate as ever, to the mud.

Merlin let out a sob, a wail, but that was all he could permit himself for now. There was still…

"Arthur!" he threw himself to his knees at Arthur's side and drew a potion out of his pocket. He parted Arthur's lips and poured the clear liquid over his tongue. "Come on, Arthur. Come _on_."

Arthur lay still.

Merlin scooped him up in his arms, and slapped his face, hard.

"Arthur!"

Arthur spluttered and blinked, eyes huge and blue. "Merlin?"

Relief rolled over Merlin like a wave; laughter bubbled through him. "Yes. Yes, Merlin."

"Took your time, didn't you? Ow. My head."

"Sorry. It had to be convincing, and you kind of caught the edge of that rock when you fell"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Is Morgana…."

Merlin looked over to the spot where Morgana had fallen. Excalibur glinted in the feeble sunshine; he could feel the magic of the sword calling to Arthur again.

Arthur swallowed hard, and nodded.

"We have to go," Merlin said. "The Knights will be back at Camelot by now. Are you alright to walk?"

"I'm fine, Merlin. Takes more than a bit of poison to get me down, you know that."

"Yes, Sire." _So long as I'm always here to save you._

Arthur picked up his sword as Morgana's dust swirled through the air, and followed his warlock home.

 _~fin~_


End file.
